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Originally Posted by Princetonstyle
I've read several excellent articles that speak of the value that therapy supposedly brings by exposing one's "inner child" so it can finally be healed. I would never have believed that such a thing could even be possible had it not just happened to me in therapy (and it takes A LOT for me to open up and trust/attach to another person). That being said, I really think that if bringing the client to such a vulnerable/dependent state is indeed such a critical goal, the design of therapy needs to also be prepared to deal with any increased needs that may come with it. Otherwise, it seems to me that the process can easily exploit this and prolongue the dependence indefinitely.
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This has also happened for me. It's like my younger self -- which was still in there somewhere -- finally found an adult who saw what was happening and could help them. It's kind of incredible, a little bit like going back in time and fixing something.
My biggest concern is that most therapists don't have proper respect for this strong state of dependence when considering things like maternity leave, retirement, moving, or flat termination of clients. In their code of ethics, under "Ethical Responsibilities to Clients," they talk about "continuation of services" as if referring a client to someone else constitutes a continuation. For clients in the midst of inner child attachment to the T, this is like a mother sending her own child off to live with some distant aunt in another state with no remaining contact (or almost none), and calling that "continuation of services" because the child is technically still being cared for. The very phrase "continuation of services" feels dehumanizing to both therapist and client, as if we are all cogs in a machine, replaceable parts.
So, while I have experienced the benefits of this attachment / healing process myself, it entails a period of grave danger. I've noticed that many of the people here who have been terminated by T's (an apt term) say that they feel like they might literally die from it. I imagine a child abandoned by a caretaking adult would have similar existential fears. T's don't seem to know what they're playing with.